LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A hunter who mistook a wolf for another animal and shot it during a hunt six months ago in Calhoun County will not face charges.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) still does not know how the gray wolf made its way into southern Michigan. Wolves are primarily found in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula or the northern Lower Peninsula.
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“It’s not out of realm for a large carnivore to move long distances,” DNR wildlife biologist Brian Roell told Michigan News Source in April. “Years ago, a wolf made it to Missouri. Large predators are capable of moving long distances, but it’s very rare.”
A DNR report released this week shows the wolf could have traveled to Calhoun County naturally or may have had help from humans. Wolves in Michigan are currently protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Roell said the DNR plans to conduct a wolf population survey in the northern Lower Peninsula next winter.
Meanwhile, the DNR’s 2024 winter wolf population survey estimate found a minimum of 762 wolves in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This year’s estimate showed an increase of 131 animals compared to the 2022 estimate of 631.
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